Ala jobless rate surpasses 11 percent in Feb

Montgomery, AL – - Alabama's unemployment has risen to 11.1percent, the highest figure in 26 years. The state Department of Industrial Relations announced theJanuary rate Wednesday. It is up from December's revised rate of10.9 percent. The last time Alabama recorded 11.1 percent unemployment wasJanuary 1984. Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said Alabama saw adecline of 30,800 jobs in January, and the unemployed raterepresents more than 228,000 people. The counties with the lowest unemployment are Madison at 8.7percent, Shelby at 8.8 percent, and Coffee at 9.0 percent. Thecounties with the highest unemployment are Wilcox at 27.4 percent,Monroe at 22.4 percent, and Conecuh at 21.8 percent.